In A Far Cry...from Home: A Mother's Journey of Loss, Loss and Healing...Through the Eyes of an Angel Sandy Richards gives us a firsthand look at a club that no one ever wants to belong to. A club of grief and pain, the club is for parents who have suffered the death of a child. The true story of one mother's journey of grief and the love she has for her son, the love that keeps her moving to fulfill a promise she made while her son was on his death bed. It shows us the different paths that can be taken when lost in grief - which will you choose? Despair that never seems to end or hope, love and remembrance?

I can’t imagine the loss a child; I simply cannot imagine the pain that Sandy would have gone through in losing her son. I feel honored to have read this book and been allowed to walk in her path as she took that journey of healing to overcome the pain and loss and keep his memory alive. Sandy did an amazing job in finding just the right words to tell the story, to make us visualize each moment. I found this book both heartbreaking and inspirational and I am sure I will be reading it more than once. I admire her strength and courage and ability to continue on. Anyone who has suffered a loss or knows someone who has should read this book. Walk the path with Sandy and find what might work to help you grieve and then overcome it. Life has much to offer once you get beyond that pain.

A Far Cry... From Home: A Mother’s Journey of Love, Loss and Healing...Through the Eyes of an Angel, by Sandy Richards, is a mother's real-life story of her journey through the most trying time of her life - the death of her child - as seen through the eyes of her departed son. The book tells the story of the tragedy that hit the Richards family and changed their life forever. When 16-year-old Tyler Richards died in a car accident, his untimely death affected very many lives, but mostly his mother's. Using Tyler's voice, Sandy takes you through her son's last moment's on Earth, saying goodbye to him and coping with life after the loss. She shows how she has grieved, and how she has managed to cope with life after laying her baby to rest, and the support system that has been with her and helped her through this, the hardest time of her life.

A Far Cry... From Home is a deeply touching story about a loss so deep and so unexpected. Sandy's choice to use her beloved son's voice to narrate her story gave it a deeper meaning and some sort of closure to his life story. I was profoundly touched by how Sandy portrayed Tyler's last moments and what it must have felt for him to leave this world without his mother by his side; his pleas for her to come to his rescue are simply heartbreaking. As friends and family said their goodbyes and told their versions of the story of Tyler's life and the great impact he had had on them, in words so beautiful and inspiring, I was very deeply moved.

A Far Cry…From Home is a story of heartbreak and resilience. In this narrative, a devastated and grief-stricken mother’s deceased son intimately shares and normalizes the intense grief responses and the signs of love she experiences in the years following his death. Emotional, yet refreshingly hopeful, this story succeeds in its quest to communicate to others who are also grieving the loss of a child, that they are not alone. Through her son’s voice, the author demonstrates that despite the pain, moving from victim to survivor during any healing journey happens when you remain present and allow yourself to feel not only the sorrow but also the joy that can be found in moment-to-moment interactions with others and the world around us.

Movingly captures the effect one well-loved teenager had on his community. ~Kirkus Reviews

Debut author Richards’ novel is based on the author’s journey through grief after the loss of her son.

When 16-year-old Tyler died in a car accident in Walled Lake, Mich., on Sept. 21, 2003, the tragedy sent shock waves through his family and his community. His parents and brother suffered the sharpest sense of loss, but as a kind, popular teen, many friends and neighbors felt the weight of his death as well.

In the novel, everyone mourns differently—some look for signs that he’s with them in spirit, some cope with their feelings through writing, some speak about him at public functions to honor his memory—and while the pain never disappears completely, his loved ones gradually begin to heal as they draw together in support and affection.

Richards spends some time exploring the after-effects of Tyler’s death from the teen’s perspective as he watches over his grieving loved ones from heaven. The emphasis, however, is primarily on his mother’s mourning process (Tyler watches over her whenever she visits his grave or writes in her journal). The book also includes a large number of letters and poems written about Tyler, and these help diversify the perspective.

In one letter, his cousin Megan said, “I promise to continue to tell every person I meet about the wonderful person you were.” His friend Amy wrote a poem: “Goodbye to my friend / There will never be an end / To what you’ve left behind / To the memories, in everyone’s mind.” The notes vary, but each expresses how much Tyler means to whomever wrote it.

The people who knew Tyler while he was alive continue to be affected by him after his death. The book describes Tyler as a hardworking athlete with great spirit and an eagerness to help his peers whenever possible; after his death, a scholarship fund is set up in his memory, and the money is awarded to those students who best exhibit his degree of sportsmanship.

Well, it took me awhile, but I finished your story. You have helped one mother (and I’m sure many, many others) with your words, emotions and wisdom. I cannot tell you what this book has meant to me. I could hear my son speaking to me through the book. I will pass it on to others – people who have supported me and two other mothers who have lost their children. Thank you so much for putting these words into print because you have expressed what every grieving mother has felt.

I just read your book. My friend Kim gave it to me. You are an inspiration! I had to let you know that a very dear friend lost her son a couple of months ago and she is not doing so well. When I got the book last night I read it entirely…could not put it down. And now I have this uncanny sense of urgency to get this book to my friend…

I don’t quite know where to begin. I received your book a couple weeks ago and set it down with plans to read it right away. There it sat, on the shelf in my closet next to my watches. I saw it every day and thought maybe tonight I’ll begin to read it; for whatever reason I never picked it up. Jackie is out of town in Dallas speaking at a national convention for a few days. I thought it would be a perfect time to take her car in for service so I scheduled an appointment for today and I took the book along thinking this would be a good time to read. I read the forward by Mr. Lynch and closed the book.

The memories of that sorrowful day were so vivid it was as if I was back in time. I closed the book. After about an hour, the service tech told me it would be about four hours to do the repair, so I decided to leave. I drove over to the cigar shop I’ve been working at which is just a couple miles up the road from the dealership. I made a Starbucks stop first and then took my coffee and book to the shop. I sat down in the lounge, fired up a cigar and began to read.

About two and half hours later, I completed the book. I felt drained and exhilarated all at the same time. My head spinning between my own memories of Tyler, the stories shared, my step-daughter Shauna and my memories of her; the convergence of understanding your pain and knowing of mine and Jackie’s pain. The joys that loved ones bring and the ultimate sadness and sorrow brought on by their seemingly senseless passing. I would love to wax eloquently about your creativity and writing but I seem to just be unable to form the words which adequately convey how moved I was by your book.

Telling your story through Tyler’s voice was unique, and perhaps for some who have lost a child, a way for them to think of their loved ones which will allow them to heal – perhaps more quickly than they otherwise would have. What is clear from the book, at least for me, is that the strengths and attributes that Tyler possessed are the same that you do; a great smile, a warm and generous heart, a commitment to live life zealously, to express and share love, the ability to touch the hearts of all the people you meet. You gave him that gift and he in turn shared it with all the lives that he touched.

You continue to allow him to do this by keeping his memory alive and vital for all the young people that have followed whether through the Foundation, attending the graduations and/or keeping in touch with his many friends as their lives have continued on. All of which are no easy task, yet instrumental in your healing process. Through all of this, I think of Austin, as he too possesses those gifts; as the book tells of the story of the young girl involved with the school musical; how Austin’s ability as a senior to make a younger student feel so special. He too has that warm smile and gentile heart. Austin has had to learn to find in his heart and mind the ability to give some of the patience, generous understanding and kindness he offers so easily to others back to himself - it is part of his healing. Please tell him I said to be good to his own self, he deserves it. Tell him not only his mom and dad want him to extend those gifts, but Ty would want him to as well. I’m sure of it.

I told you on my last trip in how sorry I was that I was not the friend I should have been at your time of greatest need and only came to understand that only after the death of my step-daughter. Sandy, as only you could, you tried to remove that guilt I felt and comfort me by saying you understood all along. I wish for you great joy and happiness in the years to come and that you continue to thrive at work, as a wonderful mom, a loving wife, and may I add selfishly, a true friend.

Congratulations on this wonderful achievement as a published author. I hope this project has brought you some joy and more importantly, some peace. I guess I should stop now so you can get on with that “peace” part. By the way, for some reason, I read the book today – October 28th! I love a good connection.